Education International Research
instead of public schools. The main privatisation trends identified by educators as obstacles to Target 4.1 are the expansion of low-fee private schools, PPPs and managerial or “privatising” reforms within public education. Despite campaigning from education unions, corporate operators of so-called “low-fee” private schools offering poor-quality education to the poor in low-income countries (such as the infamous Bridge International Academies)47 continue to exist and have grown with support from international organisations and funding from the IFC and donors including the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID). The expansion of low-fee private schools undermines public education, risks transforming education from a public good into a commodity, and negatively affects progress towards equitable access for all. Eighty per cent (80%) of respondents to EI’s 2018 Status of Teachers survey said that PPPs in education are expanding to some or a great extent in their countries. The PPP model in education, while failing in Anglo-Saxon countries,48 is being promoted in low- and middle-income countries by numerous international organisations, most notably the World Bank, and it risks fuelling inequality rather than achieving education for all.49 In Spain, teachers observed that since 2015, “more money has been diverted to privately subsidised centres”. In the Philippines, ACT reports that approximately 30% of the public budget for primary and secondary education goes to private actors, lining the pockets of politicians who own private schools. Meanwhile, many “public schools have dilapidated classrooms”, and teachers are forced to buy teaching and learning materials for their classes.
In Argentina, privatisation processes are undermining public education A 2018 study by EI50 shows that privatisation in and of education in Argentina has intensified since the conservative government rose to power in 2015. The study identifies multiple forms of privatisation processes occurring throughout the country. First, it shows that enrolment in private education is expanding. In 2016, 29% of enrolment in primary school was in private schools. Most private schools are located in urban and wealthier areas where the market is larger; in rural areas, students rely mostly on state education. Second, the government invests in private sector education actors — in 2015, 17.5% of the education budget was spent on government subsidies to the private education sector. Third, the private sector has a growing presence in public education. Corporations, non-governmental organisations and philanthropic organisations have become involved in policy decisions, and PPPs are expanding. Fourth, there has been a decrease in public funding of key areas necessary for quality education such as teacher training, which is being increasingly outsourced to private providers. Finally, the study shows that the for-profit market of standardised testing is negatively impacting public education.
GRO.EI-IE
A recent study by EI51 of the trends and manifestation of the privatisation of education in Honduras illustrates the complexity of privatisation processes. The reasons for privatisation of education in the country are linked to the government’s lack of resources and inability to guarantee quality provision, failed decentralisation of education systems, and the influence of globalisation. The study deems privatisation and commercialisation “one of the greatest obstacles to equal access to quality education” in Honduras.
0302 NOITA CUDE
47 For more information about Bridge International Academies, see: Riep, C. 2019. What do we really know about Bridge International Academies? A summary of research findings. Education International. Retrieved from: https://issuu.com/educationinternational/docs/2019_ei_research_gr_bia 48 See: https://www.unite4education.org/resources/uk/the-uks-ppp-disaster-lessons-on-private-finance-for-the-rest-of-the-world/ 49 Malouf Bouf, K. 2019. False Promises: How delivering education through public-private partnerships risks fuelling inequality instead of achieving quality education for all. Oxfam. Retrieved from: https://www.oxfam.org/en/pressroom/pressreleases/2019-04-09/world-bank-must-stop-push-expand-private-education 50 Feldfeber, M., Puiggros, A., Robertston, S. and Dulhalde, M. 2018. La privatización educativa en Argentina. Education International (English summary), p. 1. Retrieved from: https://eiie.sharepoint.com/sites/eiwebsite/Shared%20Documents/Forms/AllItems.aspx?id=%2Fsites%2Feiwebsite%2FShared%20 Documents%2FPublic%20Links%2FWebDocs%2FCTERA%5FSummary%5FArgentina%5FENG%5Femail%2Epdf&parent=%2Fsites%2Feiwebsite%2FShared%20Documents%2FPublic%20Links%2FWebDocs&p=true&slrid=d731929e-b021-6000-1ba8-614bd376455b&_cldee=aWtwaXRpY m9jakBnbWFpbC5jb20%3d&recipientid=contact-edc6bdde41c1e611814f005056ad0002-8c025da0c9234472aa63093127e2e30c&esid=242c7b05-833647d6-bdfe-a8f92ac1e17d 51 Edwards, B., Moschetti, M. and Caravaca A. 2019. La Educación en Hondoras: Entre la Privatización y la Globalización. Education International. Retrieved from: https://issuu.com/educationinternational/docs/2019_ei-research_privatisation_hond?e=3689445/69325748
29